The official meetings of the state, and its political subdivisions, and any public body of the state or its political subdivisions are open to the public unless a specific law is cited by4 the state, or the political subdivision, or the public body to close the official meeting to the5 public. For the purposes of this section, a political subdivision or a public body of a political subdivision means any association, authority, board, commission, committee, council, task force, school district, county, city, town, township, or other agency of the state that is created or appointed by statute, ordinance, or resolution and is vested with the authority to exercise any sovereign power derived from state law. For the purposes of this section, an official meeting is any meeting of a quorum of a public body at which official business of that public body is discussed or decided, or public policy is formulated, whether in person or by means of teleconference. It is not an official meeting of one political subdivision or public body if its members14 provide information or attend the official meeting of another political subdivision or public body for which the notice requirements of § 1-25-1.1 have been met or press conferences called by a representative of a public subdivision. For any event hosted by a nongovernmental entity to which a quorum of the public body is invited and public policy may be discussed, but the public body does not control the agenda, the political subdivision may post a public notice of a quorum, in lieu of an agenda. The notice of a quorum shall meet the posting requirements of § 1-25-1.1. Any official meeting may be conducted by teleconference as defined in § 1-25-1.2. A teleconference may be used to conduct a hearing or take final disposition regarding an administrative rule pursuant to § 1-26-4. A member is deemed present if the member answers24 - 3 -SB present to the roll call conducted by teleconference for the purpose of determining a quorum. Each vote at an official meeting held by teleconference shall be taken by roll call. If the state, a political subdivision, or a public body conducts an official meeting by teleconference, the state, the political subdivision, or public body shall provide one or more places at which the public may listen to and participate in the teleconference meeting. For any official meeting held by teleconference, which has less than a quorum of the members of the public body participating in the meeting who are present at the location open to the public, arrangements shall be provided for the public to listen to the meeting via telephone or internet. The requirement to provide one or more places for the public to listen to the teleconference does not apply to an executive or closed meeting. The chair of the public body shall reserve at every regularly scheduled official meeting by the public body a period for public comment, limited at the chair's public body's discretion, but12 not so limited as to provide for no public comment. Public comment is only required at regularly scheduled official meetings which are designated as regular meetings by statute, rule, or ordinance. Public comment is not required at official meetings held solely for the purpose of an inauguration, swearing in of newly elected officials, or presentation of an annual report to the governing body regardless of whether or not such activity takes place at the time and place usually reserved for a regularly scheduled meeting. If a quorum of township supervisors, road district trustees, or trustees for a municipality of20 the third class meet solely for purposes of implementing previously publicly-adopted policy, carrying out ministerial functions of that township, district, or municipality, or undertaking a22 factual investigation of conditions related to public safety, the meeting is not subject to the23 provisions of this chapter.24 - 4 -SB A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.